Stairway to heaven

Auld lang syne...

Old cities, tiny lanes and houses next to one another excite me like none other. Perhaps this is why, I being a south Calcutta girl, have always been fascinated with the north. 

My recent trip to Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Kotor and Budva (Montenegro) reminded me of north Calcutta in more ways than one. The cities are centuries old and exude a certain kind of mystery that is hard to find elsewhere. One could just sit on the cobblestone pathways for hours on end, lost in thoughts, and watch as the world pass by. Life is laid-back in these alleys, where stories of everyday lives spread out in beautiful randomness in every corner. Friendships brew over cups of coffees and gelatos. Fluffy cats sit idly in the shade to get respite from the hot Croatian sun. And magic happens amidst all things mundane.

Anachronism, yes that's the word. :)

Kerala solo travel

Of all the exciting things I accomplished last year, my year-end solo trip to Kerala would be the foremost. The seven days I spent exploring the kaleidoscope-esque state gave me reasons to believe that it could be one of those places where I would happily breathe my last. The perfect mix of blue and green, lyadh and liveliness, abundant sunshine and moon-kissed beach walks, sound of waves crashing and tranquillity of solitude, travelling solo in Kerala pulled me out of my comfort zone and changed the way I looked at things. It urged me to find my abode of peace and I returned home with a happiness my heart was incapable of holding and a smile I had forgotten I smiled. 

From rolling tea plantations, peaceful beaches, mystical backwaters, plethora of national parks and a cuisine that engulfs all the five senses, Kerala has it all and more. There is something for everyone, with very little scope for disappointment. I found Kerala to be almost therapeutic, soothing my restless mind and taking me back to long lost eras when lives were simpler and hearts pure. Its laid-back charm and unhurried pace of life constantly reminded me of old Calcutta and Anjan Dutt songs, and made me realise how easy falling in love is. But what struck me the most about the place was the humbleness of the people around, their ever-smiling faces and the warmth you would feel in their presence. This also reminds me of a brief exchange had with a female shop owner in Thiruvananthapuram, where I had gone to purchase a "Kasavu" saree. She didn't speak English, I didn't speak Malayalam or any of the Dravidian languages she was familiar with. So at last I gathered all my courage and hesitantly asked, "Hindi?". She looked at me in mock horror and said "Aiyyyoooooo" and we both burst out laughing. I managed to purchase the saree in the end, but her glass-shattering hysterical tone and the laughter that ensued will stay in my mind for a long, long time :D

*Thiruvananthapuram*

My Kerala trip started off purely academically in Thiruvananthapuram where the conference I was attending was being hosted. The three-days event, apart from being very well received by researchers and practitioners alike, provided ample introduction to the Malayali way of life through traditional Keralan delicacies, mesmerising Kathakali dance performances, sight-seeing to nearby beaches, and finally a trip to the famous Padmanabhaswamy temple. 

Kathakali and Bharatanatyam being performed. 

Padmanabhaswamy temple 

Personally though, I felt that Trivandrum was more like a commercial capital and shopping hub of Kerala which might do little to quench your wanderlust. Instead, it could be a convenient starting point for day/weekend trips to Kanyakumari and other places in Tamil Nadu. Alternatively one could take the coastal route, visit Kovalam/Varkala, move north to Alleppey for the backwaters and finally proceed to Munnar and/or exit from Kochi. You could easily spend two weeks in Kerala, if not more. I, however, was short of time and therefore decided to spend a couple of days in Kovalam, visit Alleppey for two days and finally take the flight back from Kochi. The first part of the itinerary went as planned. One could easily avail Uber or private Autos for a relatively cheap fare to reach Kovalam from the capital (a distance of about 14 kilometers). The rest of my itinerary, however, went haywire when the heart fell hopelessly in love with the golden sands and palm-lined beaches and decided to take matters in its own hand!

*Kovalam*

Kovalam is what dreams are made of. The crescent-shaped beaches, abundance of coconut trees, coppery haze of the tropical sun, the wind in the hair and sands between the toes will leave permanent footprints in your heart for years to come. The red and white Kovalam lighthouse situated atop a large rocky promontory in the southern stretch of the beach is a sight to behold, where one could just spend hours and day-dream! The leisure options are endless here. You could sunbathe for the most part of your day, take a long relaxing dip in the calm waters of the Arabian Sea, indulge in Ayurvedic treatments and herbal massages, read a book or let the mind wander into uncharted territories while sipping on coconut water. December is not a peak tourist season in Kovalam which allows you to sufficiently soak in the peace and quiet of the place without much disturbance. The entire Kovalam coastline is packed with numerous curio and beachwear shops, restaurants, heath centres, resorts and hotels. Accommodation facilities usually range from five star luxury and specialty resorts to budget hotels, while the diverse palate of continental, malabari and south indian delicacies will spoil you for choice. I personally would recommend the Kingfisher restaurant at the Lighthouse beach for malabari-styled fresh seafood and the Palm Beach restaurant for a wide variety of sumptuous breakfast/brunch options. 

Kovalam beach

View from the hotel restaurant

Lighthouse picture postcard

Up, close and personal

Skyline

From up above the world so high

Wall-art

Of blue, green and everything in between

Stunning landscapes aside, there was something unsaid about Kovalam that calmed me in a way Ma's oiled fingers massaging my tresses did when I was a child. Sitting there, the world seemed transparent and frozen in time. At the end of the first two days, I just couldn't bring myself to leave and spontaneously decided to skip Alleppey and spend a couple of days more before heading off to Kochi. One word of caution though, particularly if you are a solo female traveller, would be to ignore the constant stares of random men at the beach and be stern in your responses if they try to communicate. Unfortunately, most would assume that you are available and looking for hookups and might approach you for phone numbers or pictures. Do not let it leave a bad taste in your mouth and be rude if you have to. Keeping yourself safe is your responsibility and therefore do EVERYTHING in your capability to ensure that. 

*Kochi*

Moving on to Kochi was a mixed bag of emotions. A part of me wanted to stay back in Kovalam never to return, while the other pragmatic part wanted to explore new places and eventually return to the mundane. The nearest railway station from Kovalam is Trivandrum central, from where there are frequent trains to Ernakulam Town (North). Choose to stay in Ernakulam and take the ferry for INR 4 to visit the old town of Kochi, or stay directly at one of the many budget or luxury hotels near Fort Kochi. All the major "tourist attractions" of Kochi are located in the old town and are accessible by foot, which make day trips quite convenient.

If I have to describe Kochi in a word, it would be "anachronism". Kochi does not belong to the era of smartphones, electric cars, fast-paced life and complicated emotions. Kochi is a celebration of the bygone era. A world not as seen through rose-tinted glasses or Instagram filters, rather, a world that is utterly imperfect yet astonishingly simple. Start off your Kochi tour with the old township of Fort Kochi, wander about the backstreets lined with the famous Chinese fishing nets from centuries ago, inhale the warm concoction of salt, raw fish and earth in the air, and fall captive to the old world charm. Leave the beach road and walk inwards and you will discover a diverse collection of Portuguese and Syrian churches, Dutch cemeteries, Indo-Portuguese museum, Mattancherry palace and a Jewish town nestled between tiny alleys. Visit the old and neglected Dutch cemetery and then walk up to St. Francis church which is the oldest European church in India and the original resting place of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Continue walking through canopied streets and pastel-coloured villas and reach Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica. It is one of the heritage edifices of Kerala, endowed with Gothic-style architecture and colours. I visited the Basilica just before Christmas and found it beautifully decorated and blushing under the winter sun. I decided to make a stop at this point and randomly found one of Kochi's hidden gems, a tiny road-side European style cafe called Loafer's corner. It captured the essence of Kochi perfectly, and you could just sit for hours on end and watch the world go by. After lunch, I proceeded towards Mattancherry and spent a considerable amount of time at the multicoloured and uninhabited Koonan Kurishu Syrian church. The Mattancherry palace and the adjacent Jewish synagogue were down the road, but unfortunately were closed in the afternoon. So I decided to roam around the Jewish town and discovered several craft stores, jewellery shops and spice market that sold authentic Jewish items. Finally as dusk fell, I made my way to the jetty that would leave behind a town wrapped in century-old history and ways of life and teleport me to the present :(

Fort Kochi and Chinese fishing nets

Dutch cemetery

Red-tiled houses

St. Francis church

Canopied streets

Santa Cruz Basilica

Loafer's corner, wall-art and daydreams

Syrian church

Jewish town shops

If you ask me, I did not find Kochi to be visually spectacular. But, it tugged at my heartstrings in more ways than one. In fact, that in a nutshell was Kerala for me. I left a part of my heart there, perhaps to come back and collect it some day. This is why my first solo trip in India will be special, very very special. Because it will always remind me of things, places and promises to come back to when I shall breathe my last.

What's cooking?

Of late, I am noticing that the number of cooking blogs being posted on Facebook is growing by leaps and bounds each day. There are days (which happen to be almost everyday) when the news feed overflows with pictures and recipes of food, food, food and more food. Breakfast food- check, lunch and dinner food- check, mid office snack- check, desserts- check, Indian- check, Asian- check, Continental- check, Mexican- check, and the list goes on. No, I am not at all against cooking blogs or posting food pictures on social networking sites. On the contrary, the amount of effort, patience and creativity put into cooking fascinate me to no extent. And ofcourse, it leaves me salivating, putting 'Pavlov's dog' to shame. 

I, perhaps, am the worst cook in the whole world. No, not even the worst cook. Far below the worst. In the last two years that I have lived alone, friends and colleagues have made futile attempts to make me cook. They have made fun of me, threatened me, forced me, tried to teach me. But nothing has worked. I have nonchalantly ignored them and continued eating salad and bread for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. To be honest, I am quite okay with it. More than okay for that matter. People have often wondered how I never crave for home cooked Indian food, given that I always claim that eating is a part of my soul. Agreed, I love to eat. Eating IS a part of my soul. But then there's something else that defines me. Lyadh! Lyadh (which when translated means the highest degree of laziness), is, according to me, THE path to Moksha. Hence, the effort needed to keep the other part of the soul happy has got lost somewhere. 

Having said all that, I can as-a-matter-of-fact make four things. No, not CAN (as it might mean that I am good at making these). I have managed to MAKE four things in the past. Chocolate/Vanilla cake (blindly following the easiest-recipe-on-earth from Ma),  pasta (after being spoon-fed by the guy), Chili Paneer (with cottage cheese, that took me three hours instead of the usual 30 mins) and Aloo Dum (again from Ma, and super-simplified given the Lyadh). I am not proud of any of my achievements. Infact I feel nothing but sorry for the person who has been on the receiving end of my cooking expedition. But then, isn't love all about pushing tasteless food down the throat and making the 'wow-it-was-so-good' face? :D

Enough self-loathing done, this post needs a face-lift now. And what better than to end it with a proper food picture from my stock! Two months ago, I made Luchi for the then-room-mate. It is a traditional Bengali flatbread made of flour, to be had with curry on a Sunday morning. In the beginning, I was all excited at the prospect of making my first ever Luchi. However, by a cruel twist of fate, just before starting I figured that the rolling-pin essential to make the dough was missing. When all attempts to acquire/borrow/buy/.. a rolling-pin ended in disaster, we decided to invent our own method. The end-result: A hilarious looking Luchi, prepared, using a bottle of red wine instead! :D 

Slurp!

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.” 

As the world celebrates the day of love with sickeningly sweet gestures, I stand outside my favourite cake shop indefinitely and ogle the assortment with lustful eyes.

Fast forward half an hour, love's labour's FOUND, and how! :)

The story of Yin and Yang

She would always get annoyed when he lectured on her immaturity. On most days she would approach him with an emotional problem, all hyper and excited and asking for advice, and he in turn would just ask her to be patient and calm. "You never give me a concrete advice, only tell me stupid philosophical stuff that solves nothing. What's the point of being calm when the problem is not solved in the end?" she would ask angrily. In response, he would say that the key to mental peace was to be able to handle a crisis calmly, angering her even more. 

Often, she would think how two people could be so much different. There she was- chatterbox and a social butterfly, excessively extrovert, hyperactive most of the time, and sensitive; while he was- practical with strong principles, a quiet listener, lazy, and completely at peace with everything around. She would wonder how he was capable of not reacting to situations, not getting angry, and could stay calm most of the time. During fights, she would throw the choicest of words at him, and he would listen without any argument or protest. After awhile of one-sided blood-boiling conversation, he would finally say "Do not get so angry, you'll get a headache otherwise". Often at that point, she would rush out of the door, contemplating murder and wondering if he was the biggest mistake of her life. Later at night, she would lay awake in bed and wonder how perfect life would have been if they hadn't been so dissimilar. 

Then one day, her wish was granted. She was complaining about something, when suddenly he turned to her and let out a loud grunt. With that, he started replying to her every complaint, pointing out her faults one by one. Dumbstruck and alarmed, she tried to put forth her claims but was silenced again and again. Tears started rolling down her cheeks, and being unable to hide them, she ran inside. Later that night, she stayed up in bed with swollen eyes and thought how scary and emotionally draining counter-arguments were. "I need to have a proper talk with him in the morning", she decided before dozing off. 

The morning turned out to be no different from the day before. She tried to talk, but got no response from him. He uttered not a word, and quietly sipped tea. "Are you listening to me? Can we atleast have a sensible talk about the whole issue?" she asked. "I do not want to talk, please leave me alone", he flatly said without looking up. Like a bolt of lightning, it struck her then. "That's not him, that's how I am! I am the one who fights and gets angry. I am the one who shouts and screams, and later needs to be pacified. I am the one who gets agitated and starts complaining. I am the one who is immature and not capable of handling a problem peacefully. That's all me!" She stood there, stunned into silence by the realization, and prayed for him to be his old self again. Later that night, as she laid in bed with her head on his shoulders, she noticed for the first time how complete a picture the incompletenesses drew.

Yin and Yang. That's what they have been called ever since.

The year that it was

As I sit back and flash upon the year gone by, various thoughts and memories crowd my head. One more year gone by, one year less to achieve all the things I wish for, one more year to painfully remind me of being on the wrong side of twenty, and one year less to finish the PhD. But, overall, it had been a good year, not spectacularly eventful perhaps, but quite a good one nonetheless. So, as an act of thankfulness and reciprocity, I dedicate the first post of the new year to the surprisingly well-behaved 2013.

It was a year when two of my best friends got married, and for the first time ever, I felt like a mother- delighted and at peace to have finally seen the loved ones well-settled, but with a tinge of jealousy and possessiveness for having to share my property with complete strangers :-\

It was a year when two other close friends and an elder sister had their first babies, and I realized that mere pictures of these bundles of joys were capable enough to lift up the mood in a jiffy.

It was the year when I went to my first ever international conference, in Nice, and gave my first academic talk in a room full of scholars. Apart from the nausea and the butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling the entire time, I also figured how breathtakingly beautiful the Mediterranean was. It was also the time that came with the sadness of people lost and happiness of finding new people to share moments with.

It was the year when the parents visited me in Germany for the first time ever and I lived a dream with them; a dream of seeing and showing bits and pieces of Europe, suggesting the local cuisines and drinks, taking long walks and river-cruise rides, explaining extensive details about each place, and feeling fortunate. It was the year which made me realize that places breathe, and smell too- of happiness, of colors, of life, and, of goodness of people.

The year marked my official entry into this blogging world. I always read about the popular blogging communities, but never quite imagined myself registering for any of them. And then one day, IndiBlogger happened. I remember waiting with bated breath for the "your-blog-has-been-accepted" email, and how incredibly happy I felt afterwards. There has been no looking back since then, only an affirmation of the belief that I am blessed with great people around me, virtually and otherwise. 

It had been a year of goodbyes, with respect to the favorite sport. Sachin retired, and then the cricketer with that familiar green-yellow jersey numbered 3. It marked the end of a major part of my growing up, a part I considered very close to my heart, the part that bore the name of Jacques Kallis :-( 

The year saw not much difference in personal and professional life as compared to the year before, which was quite unexpected, given the close relationship I share(d) with mental turbulence and setbacks. I continue to keep my fingers and legs crossed and mentally thank my stars, well almost. Oh dear stability, how much I missed you!

The year ended with the things I love the most- yummy food, movie-marathon, long conversations, night-outs, sleeping till afternoon, revisiting childhood, baking Christmas cakes, watching distant fireworks on freezing nights, perfect company and general happiness all around :-) On that note, Happy 2014 everyone!

Winter in Germany

It's very very cold in here. Dragging the lazy body out of bed, dressing up (sadly, bare essentials during this time mean a minimum of two sweaters, thick overalls, winter jacket and gloves) and coming to the office with frozen ears and the nose seem like a painfully long process. Winter gets this wintry in Germany. And it stays FOREVER. However, there are reasons, more than one, why it still tops the list of my most favorite season. 

In Calcutta, winter meant snuggling up to the mother and the brother under one blanket, skipping baths, nolen-gurer sandesh and pithe-puli (Bengali desserts made from date palm jaggery and milk), joynagorer mowa, picnics with the family and relatives, steaming cups of Bournvita/Horlicks with sunshine on the shoulders, old over-sized sweaters with long sleeves that covered the palms, Park Street and Esplanade during Christmas, a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral on the 25th, surprise gifts from parents, yummy food, book-fair, adda with best friends in Maidan, school reunions, and tidbits of romance thrown in here and there. 

In Germany, winter is different. For one, it is extremely cold, with the temperature hovering somewhere around -15 degrees for the most part. For two, the extreme coldness is accompanied by snow. Snow is beautiful though. One afternoon you look out of the office window and suddenly notice thin light snowflakes falling from the sky and accumulating on the grass. Within minutes, everything turns white. You run outside in the freezing cold, and let the snowflakes fall on the hair. The joys of experiencing first snowfall, you realize with a grin. Two years, exact same experience both time. No signs of boredom still.

Associated with snow, also comes alpine skiing and other winter sports, for people who are bravehearts and not scary-poos. However, I have figured that I do not belong to that category, and therefore shall not write more on this.

Then there are these Christmas markets that marks the advent of Christmas. They are very popular in Europe, more so in Germany, and also a major contributing factor to my love for winter. These are usually street markets held in the main city squares, where one finds decorated open-air stalls selling hot food, mulled wine, roasted nuts, traditional gingerbread hearts and other seasonal items. In bigger Christmas markets, one can also find a variety of mind-numbing rides, traditional song and dance performances by the locals, innumerable decoration materials and that mouth-watering smell of baked cookies and crêpes in the air. 

(The above picture is taken directly from Wikipedia. If you search for 'Christmas Market', you'll get this image. This is in Jena, the place where I live. *feeling-proud* moment. The rest are from Berlin).

Then comes the New Year celebration. In Germany, it is huge, and very loud. The day is marked by fireworks and crackers, alcohol, making toasts and never-ending parties. Every house is decorated, every corner and tree lighted up, with happy faces everywhere. Diwali in India, to a great extent. 

On a personal note, however, winter means more- frequent parties at office, lots of glühwein, gifts from secret Santa, trips to local cathedrals, indulging in hot desserts and cakes without guilt, and a relaxing time with the guy(s). But then, there's one more reason why winter happens to be so special- it is that time of the year of going HOME :-)

The Liebster Award

Let me begin this post by thanking Bhavana Lalwani (Life with pen and papers) who has nominated my blog for the Liebster Award. Apart from the fact that I am absolutely overwhelmed and can't thank her enough, I feel a big inverted-rainbow across my face right now. My first ever nomination for an award, and what more, given by a fellow blogger who has liked my blog! Clearly, my day is made :)

So before explaining the rules, let me just briefly mention what in the world this Liebster award is about! Liebster is a German word (which I had no clue about, even after staying in Germany for the past two years) which means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued etc (Wikipedia, you rock!) It is an award given to new and budding bloggers who have less than 200 followers, as a way to boost their reputation in the blogging community! 

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Here are the rules:

1) Each nominee must thank and link back the person who nominated them.

2) Answer the 10 questions given to you by the nominator.

3) Nominate 10 other bloggers for this award who have less than 200 followers.

4) Create 10 questions for your nominees to answer.

5) Let the nominees know that they have been nominated by notifying them.

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Here are the answers to the ten questions that Bhavana has asked:

If you become India’s Prime Minister for one day, then what would be your first three decisions?

Being an economist who has seen how this world works from a closer distance, I would say (in no particular order), provision of education- not just basic, but atleast through high-secondary- to everyone so that they can make decisions not based on their blind beliefs and religious orthodoxies but on sound logic and understanding, complete elimination of child labor, and improvement of the sanitation system.

If the whole world fall asleep for one day except you and you are free to go anywhere and take anything, then where will you go and what things you would like to take?

Have never thought about this one. But now when I think about it, I would never really want the whole world to fall asleep even for a day. Being a garrulous person who talks incessantly, I believe I would suffocate if I would find no one to talk to. So, if I have to answer that question, I would say I would just sleep and then wake up when the rest of the world (or atleast one person) wakes up :D

Name your biggest fear.

Loneliness.

What is your idea of a dream vacation?

Somewhere in the mountains, where silences speak. The rest.. spontaneity :)

Do you believe in love at first sight?

No! Over the years I have realized that love is more than just first sight. So, no.

If you have given the freedom/power to rewrite some chapters of your life then, which things you would like to change or correct?

I am very tempted to name a few impromptu decisions and embarrassing mistakes that I had made. But then given the fact that life is a learning curve, I would not actually want to rewrite any part of my life; afterall those impromptu decisions and embarrassing mistakes have made me who I am today (a cliché, but very apt nevertheless).

Which film or novel or the character (you recently have read/watch) has impressed you most and why?

The one film that I have recently watched and have been clearly impressed is Julie & Julia. And why? Here is the reason why :)

Do you think or believe that the cyber world (social networking) can bring true and worthy relationships in our life? Please give a little explanation.

Yes. I have seen friends around me finding their soulmates through this cyber world. Love means understanding and being able to communicate properly, whatever the medium be. However, I personally do not see something like that happening for me. 

If you are given a chance to live someone else’s life for one week then, who would be that person and why?

I am intrigued by only one person in this world, who puzzles me to no extent. Time and again, I have thought what it is to be like him, to think the way he thinks, to feel the way he feels, the way he perceives a particular situation etc. We are poles apart in the way we think, which is why I often wish if I could get into his head. Wall-P, he is. 

Define the biggest ambition/dream of your life in one sentence.

To live a complete and happy life with people I love.

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Here are my ten nominations for the award:

Being Mommee..Love It. Like It. Live It.

Tes AP

The K- Factor

Tangled Vibes

Haute Kutir

My World of Food and Travel

Let Beauty be Your Constant Ideal

Labyrinths of Life

The Explorer of Miracles

Stir Your Souls

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And finally, here are my ten questions (the first ten questions that came to my head :D)

1) Three words that describe you the best.

2) Tea or Coffee?

3) Name one feature in you that you don't like. Could be physical, emotional, psychological, whatever. 

4) If you could travel anywhere in the world and money was no object, where would you go and why?

5) What's the first word/thing that comes to your mind when I say 'rain'?

6) Mountains or Sea?

7) Your take on First love? Do you believe that first love, like every first, is special?

8) The next thing on your to-purchase list?

9) Why do you blog?

10) The one thing that you would like to change about your city?

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Looking forward to many more interesting posts from you! Write on :)